Abstract
The Nebraska Sand Hills exist in a semi-arid climatic environment and the land surface is grassland growing on sandy soils. These soils have been periodically active throughout the Holocene, but are currently stabilized by the vegetation. However, a shift in climate could cause grassland death and eventual sand dune remobilization. Our studies used the CENTURY nutrient cycling and ecosystem model to investigate the impacts of drought, plant functional type, fire, grazing, and erosion on Nebraska Sand Hills vegetation and dune stability. Fire and grazing alone had little impact on the vegetation, but when combined with mild drought, biomass decreased. Overall biomass increased if one plant functional type was allowed to dominate the ecosystem. Addition of as little as 1 mm of erosion per year under current climate conditions decreases vegetation as much as a drought 20 percent drier than the worst of the 1930s drought years in Nebraska.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 49-90 |
| Number of pages | 42 |
| Journal | Climatic Change |
| Volume | 63 |
| Issue number | 1-2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 2004 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Atmospheric Science
- Environmental Science(all)
- Environmental Chemistry
- Global and Planetary Change
Cite this
Response of Nebraska Sand Hills natural vegetation to drought, fire, grazing, and plant functional type shifts as simulated by the Century model. / Mangan, Jennifer M.; Overpeck, Jonathan; Webb, Robert S.; Wessman, Carol; Goetz, Alexander F H.
In: Climatic Change, Vol. 63, No. 1-2, 03.2004, p. 49-90.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Response of Nebraska Sand Hills natural vegetation to drought, fire, grazing, and plant functional type shifts as simulated by the Century model
AU - Mangan, Jennifer M.
AU - Overpeck, Jonathan
AU - Webb, Robert S.
AU - Wessman, Carol
AU - Goetz, Alexander F H
PY - 2004/3
Y1 - 2004/3
N2 - The Nebraska Sand Hills exist in a semi-arid climatic environment and the land surface is grassland growing on sandy soils. These soils have been periodically active throughout the Holocene, but are currently stabilized by the vegetation. However, a shift in climate could cause grassland death and eventual sand dune remobilization. Our studies used the CENTURY nutrient cycling and ecosystem model to investigate the impacts of drought, plant functional type, fire, grazing, and erosion on Nebraska Sand Hills vegetation and dune stability. Fire and grazing alone had little impact on the vegetation, but when combined with mild drought, biomass decreased. Overall biomass increased if one plant functional type was allowed to dominate the ecosystem. Addition of as little as 1 mm of erosion per year under current climate conditions decreases vegetation as much as a drought 20 percent drier than the worst of the 1930s drought years in Nebraska.
AB - The Nebraska Sand Hills exist in a semi-arid climatic environment and the land surface is grassland growing on sandy soils. These soils have been periodically active throughout the Holocene, but are currently stabilized by the vegetation. However, a shift in climate could cause grassland death and eventual sand dune remobilization. Our studies used the CENTURY nutrient cycling and ecosystem model to investigate the impacts of drought, plant functional type, fire, grazing, and erosion on Nebraska Sand Hills vegetation and dune stability. Fire and grazing alone had little impact on the vegetation, but when combined with mild drought, biomass decreased. Overall biomass increased if one plant functional type was allowed to dominate the ecosystem. Addition of as little as 1 mm of erosion per year under current climate conditions decreases vegetation as much as a drought 20 percent drier than the worst of the 1930s drought years in Nebraska.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=1842765703&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=1842765703&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1023/B:CLIM.0000018516.53419.90
DO - 10.1023/B:CLIM.0000018516.53419.90
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:1842765703
VL - 63
SP - 49
EP - 90
JO - Climatic Change
JF - Climatic Change
SN - 0165-0009
IS - 1-2
ER -